KIDS FIRST! News

Learn how to turn any backyard into a wildlife haven when “The Best of Backyard Habitat: Volume 1″ flocks to DVD on Earth Day, April 22 from Genius Products and Animal Planet. Arriving for the first time on DVD, the collection highlights episodes of the do-it-yourself backyard makeover series covering techniques on attracting a variety of wildlife including birds, butterflies and other delightful creatures. The one-of-a-kind show features invaluable information regarding food and water sources, places to raise young and sustainable gardening tips to create a healthy and eco-friendly habitat for wildlife.  Upon completing the step-by-step how-to build projects to entice creatures to their outdoor space, each home is officially recognized as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat™ by the National Wildlife Federation

David Mizejewski, co-host of this amazing series and self-proclaimed Nature geek from birth, loves the concept of this show since it restores wildlife to neighborhoods. “We as gardeners have a huge power to environmental good.” Never intending to become an author, Mizejewski surprised himself by writing a book entitled National Wildlife Federation Attracting Birds, Butterflies & Backyard Wildlife. Producers at Animal Planet realized he tapped into something the public was looking for. Many people of various ages, incomes and backgrounds have a common interest–nature. With the popularity of reality TV, Animal Planet collaborated with Mizejewski and his co-host Molly Pesce to help families, from novices to experts, create a habitat in their backyard that would attract nature.

A big challenge for the crew was time. It’s difficult to develop an inspirational setting when one is filming, and animals don’t have time to discover the new environments. Often producers resort to using stock photos and suggestions of what will happen, however, sometimes the results are nearly immediate. While filming “Chickadees and Toads” in Knoxville, Tenesee, for this series, the family cut tree in yard prior to the television crew’s arrival. The team members drilled a hole in the log similar to what a chickadee would look for in a home and buried log in ground. As they finished filming the episode, a chickadee flew in and checked out hole looking for a place to nest.  Just as in “The Field of Dreams,” the Natural Wildlife Federation believes “If you build it, they will come.”

Mizejewski finds that the nature projects give people an additional bonus. In this society of instant gratification, it brings people back to calmness. He firmly believes that patience - moving at the pace of nature – will be rewarded. He also finds that nature projects are great for kids. Recent research shows that children spend almost 6 hrs a day inside, in front of screens. One of the reasons for this is that parents afraid to let kids out unsupervised. When you create a backyard habitat, it not only provides a place for animals, but kids have a haven in their own backyard where they can enjoy unstructured play and experience nature. The best part is that you don’t even have to live in the country to enjoy this. One can create an inviting environment on a high-rise balcony with a container garden.

In his experience Mizejewski finds that millions of Americans are interested in gardening activities, but many are intimidated and don’t know where to begin. His suggestion is to start small. Stop mowing a part of the lawn in the back that can’t be seen from the road so animals can move back in, or plant a few shrubs to flowers with nectar to draw birds. According to Mizejewski, there can be massive change in our eco system if everyone did a little bit to help.

For more information on starting your own natural habitat, to learn more about the National Wildlife Foundation, or to learn more about Animal Planet’s “The Backyard Habitat,” go to check out the series website. And don’t forget to treat your family by going to the store to catch all of “The Best of Backyard Habitat: Volume 1″ on DVD!

PBS KIDS is celebrating the Earth with “PBS KIDS Share the Earth Day,” a special programming and online event on Tuesday, April 22 (check local listings). Curious George, Clifford, Arthur and other favorite PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! characters will explore fun and engaging ways to keep the planet beautiful. PBS Parents will offer an Earth Day expert Q&A with Jamie Durie, host of The Victory Garden, discussing how to introduce gardening concepts to kids and what they can learn by digging in the dirt.
On the PBS KIDS preschool block, Miss Lori and Hooper teach kids how to recycle their trash, while new stories from Dot’s Story Factory show how kids at home celebrate the planet. Earth Day-themed episodes from CURIOUS GEORGE, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, and IT’S A BIG BIG WORLD will air alongside themed music videos from the award-winning kids’ rock band, Milkshake.
PBS KIDS GO!, for elementary school kids, celebrates Earth Day with themed programming from ARTHUR, MAYA & MIGUEL, and CYBERCHASE.  Throughout the late afternoon programming block, PBS KIDS GO! presents creative ideas of how kids can take care of the environment by recycling, cleaning up their neighborhoods and more.
To help parents connect these lessons back to kids’ daily lives, PBS Parents will recommend ideas, resources and activities for parents to share with their children and encourage them to spend more time exploring nature and take an active role in protecting the planet. New web content on pbskids.org and pbskidsgo.org includes a reduce, reuse and recycling theme for Dot’s Story Factory so kids can tell their own stories about saving the planet; a newly redesigned EekoWorld web site, where kids can build their own creatures and learn the basics of how life survives in different ecosystems; and a sustainability and green living site titled “Meet the Greens.”  The Greens are an environmentally conscious family who explore different methods of saving power and reducing waste in a series of short animated episodes.

The Cyberchase gang takes young viewers out to play with their new math and sports initiative, premiering this month on PBS KIDS GO!

Multi-Faceted Project Features New Episodes, A New Web Game And Outreach Events.

“For Real” Segments Include Appearance By New York Mets Pitcher John Maine

When’s the last time you looked at a baseball diamond…and saw a geometric pattern? Watched a replay…and realized how that play was diagrammed? Or checked out the score…and considered the math inherent to a game? Sports are rich with opportunities to use numbers, spot patterns, and develop strategies, and kids love sports. With this exciting connection in mind, CYBERCHASE’s new initiative challenges kids to get active with math!

CYBERCHASE’s Math & Sports, a multi-faceted project that will engage children on air, online and on the playing field in communities nationwide, kicks off April 7 on PBS KIDS GO!sm (check local listings). The Math & Sports initiative features five shows, including four new episodes, as well as an interactive Web game that gives kids the chance to challenge Hacker in the “CyberOlympics” at pbskidsgo.org/cyberchase.

“Sports are a perfect way to show kids that math is a useful tool to develop winning strategies,” says Sandra Sheppard, Thirteen/WNET New York’s director of Children’s and Educational Programming. “This new initiative aims to show kids how athletics incorporate math in ways they might not realize, while also reinforcing the power of teamwork in problem-solving. These concepts are as applicable on the field as they are in the classroom.”

CYBERCHASE For Real, a live-action segment found at the end of each animated episode, will include Harry learning from the New York Mets’ pitcher John Maine how he uses math in every game. Harry will also try to figure out the best order for him and his teammates to swim in a relay race to increase their chances of winning.

“Sports are very popular with kids and rich in opportunities to engage them in math concepts such as problem solving, geometry and data-analysis,” says executive producer Frances Nankin. “One of our goals with Math & Sports is to empower kids who might otherwise want to sit on the sidelines, and encourage them to get out there and participate, just to try out the concepts. They’re fun and easy to grasp, and guaranteed to make everyone want to play!”

To engage children while reinforcing and extending the messages of the broadcasts, CYBERCHASE Math & Sports is supported with free educational materials, including a digital activity toolkit that combines a DVD containing the five episodes and short segments and a CD-Rom containing hands-on activities. A CYBERCHASE comic book and poster are also available. These resources will be available to educational and community partners through the series’ companion Web site and Outreach Portal.

Parents and teachers can find tips for ways to combine math with sports, plus activities at pbskidsgo.org/cyberchase. For Math & Sports, an all-new interactive game will encourage players to try out math skills from the episodes and experience the results on a virtual playing field.

We hope you already know about the new Raggs public TV series…and its magical stories, music and educational underpinning, BUT did you know that Raggs is now available in widescreen? Since standard def is still the most common, they’ll continue to deliver episodes in SD, but starting on March 31, with episode 141, Raggs will be delivered in both formats.

“Raggs” stars five colorful canines and their wisecracking pet cat, Dumpster, who hang together in their own cool clubhouse.

Each program is based on one main theme that promotes social and academic readiness while also addressing specific preschool curriculum topics:
• Emergent literacy
• Visual arts
• Science and discovery
• Mathematics
• Social studies
• Movement, music and dance

More information on Raggs can be found at http://www.raggs.com.

Get ready… get set… learn about Discovery Kids’ preschool destination READY SET LEARN!, arriving for the first time ever on two compilation DVDs February 19th from Genius Products and Discovery Kids. Discovery Kids has uniquely designed all aspects of READY SET LEARN! to promote emotional intelligence: the skills needed for effective learning and an optimistic and resilient approach to life. The stories and characters from the programs in READY SET LEARN! demonstrate important skills regarding practice, persistence and patience, as well as many other skills for managing the frustrations of early childhood. As Paz, our lovable penguin host demonstrates, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!” In addition, the READY SET LEARN! programs promote specific learning content that is also invaluable to a child’s development. For example, a program can encourage school readiness skills and creative play. READY SET LEARN! is an outstanding teaching and learning tool for children and their parents or caregivers to enjoy at home, not only on television, but now, for the first time, also on DVD!

The READY SET LEARN! DVDs will each feature multiple episodes of the fun, energetic series “PAZ,” “WILBUR” and “THE SAVE-UMS!,” as seen on Discovery Kids Channel and TLC.

Each DVD will also feature bonus episodes from other popular READY SET LEARN! series, including “TODDWORLD,” “BIGFOOT PRESENTS METEOR AND THE MIGHTY MONSTER TRUCKS”, and “PEEP AND THE BIG WIDE WORLD,” plus “HIP HOP HARRY” and “HI-5″ music videos. Packaged with finger-puppets and an activity booklet, each READY SET LEARN! DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $14.95.

Synopses

PAZ:
Paz, an adorable five-year-old penguin, delights and engages young viewers as companion and host of READY SET LEARN!, Discovery Kid’s preschool programming destination. Every Paz episode is designed to promote Emotional Intelligence; skills needed for effective learning and an optimistic and resilient approach to life. The pint-sized penguin has a big imagination and looks at the world with the wide-eyed optimism, energy and curiosity that is inherent in preschoolers. Appearing in both animated and puppet form, Paz provides educational and story-based segments inspired by the interesting things that happen in a preschooler’s everyday world. Paz is based on the popular book series by Irish writer Mary Murphy.

WILBUR:
Books are fun…books are empowering…and according to Wilbur, an enthusiastic young calf, “Books are Moovelous!” With a nostalgic red barn as a backdrop, a loveable crew of barnyard animals, and cutting-edge puppetry techniques, Discovery Kids gets a jump-start on teaching early literacy skills to preschoolers with this captivating series inspired by three moms and designed to inspire a love of books and reading.

Read more about Wilbur on Ranny’s blog.
THE SAVE-UMS:
This new breed of 3-D animated super action heroes will help prepare preschoolers for their role in the 21st century. The colorful, pint-sized Save-Ums utilize whimsical helicopters, space ships and other cool machines to solve problems and nurture an interest in technology and critical thinking. Preschoolers will learn the principles of cause and effect and the impact of cooperative play. The Save-Ums are victorious because they work together. Small is Powerful! Believe it!

The new Super Friends comic book series for DC Comics comes out March 19. The series, written by Dr. Sholly Fisch, is designed for young school-age-kids and is filled with new adventures featuring classic heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman in age-appropriate adventures.
It contains puzzles, cut-out activities and more — all designed to get kids reading, and inspire kids to be “super friends” to the people around them. More details on this title can be found here.
“Super Friends” will be available in comic book stores across the country, or by subscription.
The first issue is scheduled to appear on March 20.

“Can we watch this some more? I bet I can make an instrument like that,” my ten-year old enthuses. Super young engineers have “Peep and the Big Wide World,” and now, older engineers have “Design Squad,” thanks to producer Marisa Wolsky and her team. Produced by WGBH , Design Squad is a PBS reality television show where teens between the ages 15 and 19 design whimsical machines in order to win a college scholarship.
Although the show highlights teenage kids, it appeals to younger children, also, making the viewing an entertaining and educational family event. “Can I see just one more episode?” asked Hudson, an eight-year-old KIDS FIRST! juror. “I love this show!” He set up his laptop and watched one episode after another in the series online. This is not unusual according to Wolsky. Statistics show that ¼ of their audience watches online.
How is this series different from a million other reality shows out there? Well, for one thing, there are no product placement. Parents don’t have to worry about subliminal commercial advertising when their child is watching this show. Also, the kids are competing for an opportunity to go on in life, using their natural smarts and the information they learned on this show.The students on the teams put in a lot of effort to yield great results. Once filming began in the first season, Wolsky found that it was inspiring to see the cast of eight evolve over the season with growth both socially and academically. The winner of Design Squad receives a $10,000 college scholarship provided by the Intel Foundation.

One of the biggest hurdles Wolsky and her team had to overcome was creating two-day challenges that had a satisfactory result. Season one taught them about time constraints, which included shopping time and finding challenges that appropriately fit the time frame. They made some slight changes so the teens in season two can focus more on the engineering and creativity. Season two is off to a terrific start with episodes ranging from building furniture with cardboard to building a safe roller coaster in the backyard.

Season Two premiers April 2008. Check Design Squad for more details.

They are set to launch an interactive website for the animated preschool series “Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies.” Designed by NDi Media, the site underlines hands-on learning and, like the series, features wildlife videos from the National Geographic and BBC archives. Among the many other features, upon entering each visitor is given an animal egg to care for while on the African savanna that slowly hatches.

When you submit a title to KIDS FIRST!, who knows where it can take you? The award-winning producers of “The Tillamook Treasure” can tell you since their film was picked up for distribution through their KIDS FIRST! connections.

Independent title, “The Tillamook Treasure” won the Moving Pictures Magazine award at the KIDS FIRST! Best Award ceremony in October of 2007. Equally impressive, the film was created mostly by a single family. Mom, Jane Beaumont Hall is the Director, Dad, Richard Doyon is the Executive Producer and their daughters, Suzanne Marie and Janine Doyon, played major roles in the movie. Jane Hall took a few moments to share with us what KIDS FIRST! has done for them and their film:

We saw that KIDS FIRST! was making quality children’s programming available to many children by traveling around the country. Our film is about a young girl whose family is breaking up, and she discovers what really matters as she hunts for a buried treasure. Our movie was right in line with the good values that KIDS FIRST! promotes – wholesome and fun.

KIDS FIRST! sent our film out to many festivals which increased the awareness of the movie. Then, as a surprise, they asked if they could rep the movie for distribution purposes. We said “yes” and they arranged with Maitland Primrose for North American distribution. Since distribution is the name of the game in filmmaking, they were tremendously helpful on the business end of our movie as well as the festival promotion. Maitland Primrose also cares about social values, but it is unlikely we would have connected to them without KIDS FIRST!’s assistance.

I think the biggest piece of advice I could offer new independent producers is in the writing. Get the best script you can before starting pre-production because time becomes a factor after you start. Also, our casting director, Dino Ladki, was of immeasurable help in finding quality actors to star in our production. The bigger the stars, the easier distribution is to secure. We had an amazing cohesive team that got stronger as time went on. Obviously, the Director of Photography is a huge factor and Rene Jung of Jurifilm, is a saint to work with. He made the pictures sing even with the budgetary factors we were constrained by. But bottom line it is the writing.

We are so pleased to have won the Best Independent Film Award from KIDS FIRST! Having this kind of endorsement from as well respected an organization as KIDS FIRST! means a lot in letting the viewing public know that the movie is family material and well worth seeing. Not only that, but the Awards Ceremony was great fun!

**Remember, the deadline for festival submissions for the Second Quarter 2008 is January 15! Details and applications can be found on the KIDS FIRST! web site.

The worm is turning in the movie industry as filmmakers listen to parent’s pleas for family-friendly entertainment. Common Sense Media founder, Jim Steyer, feels that the popularity of PG- and G-rated films is a trend–a good trend. Read more about it here.